2 Killed In Wrong-Way Crash On I-94 Identified

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Two families are now grieving for two men, who were killed early Wednesday morning in a head-on wrong-way crash along Interstate 94.

The accident happened at midnight near Lowry Avenue, just north of downtown Minneapolis.

Based on a 911 call placed just before the accident, the Minnesota State Patrol believes 49-year-old Reginald White left downtown Minneapolis and began going north on I-94 in the southbound lane. Soon, his vehicle crashed directly into a Jeep Liberty SUV.

The driver of the Jeep has been identified as 21-year-old Jason Norbeck of Maplewood.

“He had a wonderful personality. He was very easy going. He loved everybody. Everybody loved him,” said Norbeck’s mother, Kim Norbeck. She said her son was working two jobs in the Twin Cities, following graduating from Roseville High School in 2007. “He was a good kid,” she said.

White’s fiancée, Teresa Molinaro, learned of his death Wednesday morning. They have a 2-year-old daughter together and were planning on getting married in September.

“He was a wonderful father, and he was my rock. He kept us together,” said Molinaro.

Both drivers were not wearing a seat belt, according to the State Patrol.

Investigators will be looking at traffic cameras to determine when and where White began going the wrong way.

“It was basically his fault,” said Molinaro about her husband causing the crash. “I also feel bad for the other victim’s family, too. I don’t want to be selfish. I give them my condolences.”

Investigators aren’t sure if White had his vehicle lights turned on.

Witnesses told troopers that Norbeck had passed their vehicle, and then pulled in front of them seconds before the crash, giving him very little time to get out of the way.

“Sad. I just don’t think life’s fair. Why does God have to take the good ones away?” said Norbeck’s father, Jack Hartshorn. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over this.”

Now, Molinaro says she feels for her daughter, Renna, who will grow up never knowing her father.

“I don’t know when I’m going to break or what I’m going to do,” said Molinaro. “I know that she deserved a father and it’s just not fair.”

Investigators say an autopsy will show whether or not alcohol played a role in this crash. There were no open beer cans or bottles and no smell of alcohol, according to the patrol.

Watch John Lauritsen’s Earlier Report

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Suppose it could have been another form of chemical that was involved but more inclined to think that alcohol strikes once again
It’s getting so bad on the roads right now – I just don’t get it. No way can I understand this stuff

two lives lost…it sad for the families of both and how callous of those people who would call both involved morons…life is life and each life is precious, if it were one of your loved ones would they be “morons”

Investigators “aren’t sure if alcohol was involved.” Without knowing all of the facts, you cannot call someone moronic. It could very well have been a medical condition which caused someone to swerve into the wrong lane. We will not know until an autopsy is performed. People should hesitate before jumping to conclusions and calling the deceased moronic. It is insensitive to their memories and their families.

What magical special medical condition are you theorizing about? Do you have any support, any evidence at all that suggest there are real medical conditions out there that cause this, yet allow someone to get a drivers license in the first place? It must be a rare form, otherwise odds are thousands of people have the same medical conditions this lady does…..oddly enough, i dont read about them driving the wrong way on the freeway? Why is that you think? Use your brain please!!!

Anonymous may have a point. Here’s a pretty common medical condition, Whatever Anonymous………diabetes. When a person’s blood suger is very high or very low, they can act like they are drunk……….poor judgement, unable to think rationally, etc. So, before you open mouth and insert foot, be sure you know what you are talking about. I know about this because I am a registered nurse.

If that is truly the case and diabetics are prone to drive on the wrong side of the freeways, then common sense suggests that we should not license diabetics. The most likely cause of this tragedy is alcohol; this is by far the most reasonable explanation (though surely not the only one) for such actions. Anonymous is simply using logic based on the fact that most accidents are caused by human error, not medical conditions. Peace.

If you are impaired by booze, age, medical condition, foreign – can’t read the signs….get off the roads. Hand in your license – ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ADDICTED TO TEXTING AND YAPPING ON THE DAMN CELL PHONE.

Diabetics, when having an isulin reaction, can become very confused and even pass out. Someone having a stroke can become very confused and loose controll. Brain tumors, before diagnosis could cause confusion, the list could go on . . . . .No matter the case we are talking about people who have died tragically and until all the facts are in one should’ve reserve comments like that until they have been made public, Besides we are not judge and jury, leave that job up for those who are assigned; Heaven and Earth.

No, we actually know there was a moron involved. Drove up a ramp the wrong way, onto a highway against traffic, where, from reading the article, we KNOW that they moron was driving into oncoming traffic. What exactly would your person of average intelligence think if they looked down their road and saw multiple sets of headlights coming at them. Apparently this moron thought, “Oh, I should swerve around the oncoming cars and keep driving.”

It is sad when anyone dies, however I think people need to get in touch with reality. This isn’t a memorial page, it’s a news media, and wqith that you will have replies that address the hard rality of it sometimes. If you can’t handle that then I suggest you don’t read the articles or watch the news.

Mine have been off due to wiring issue that Saab has had in the harness. No big deal to have it replaced.
Not that lights would have relevance to this accident anyway I’m sure. Coming at you from opposite direction at 60 —- not much of a prayer for anyone.
Sad deal and one that never should have happened.

Seriously! I’ve lived in Four States and they all have their own sets of problems and it’s all relative but I’ve noticed that there are a lot of head on crashes with one driver headed in the wrong direction. One of the greatest basketball players of the 90’s was killed right here in this manner Malik Sealy…remember him? MN TImberwolf. Whatever the reason, drunk or sober, I think that people should just pay more attention. Let’s all not sit here and pretend like we’ve never stepped behind the wheel and felt guilty as hell when we made it home safely. I have a friend that had two beers and was charged with DUI. It’s not hard to get charged.

Oh yeah, that’s EXACTLY how you tell if alcohol was involved – open containers in the car. I ALWAYS bring a roadie with me from the bar. The bigger problem here is that the roads and entrance ramps in this city are f-ed up beyond anything that I’ve ever seen. I sometimes have problems distinguishing between and entrance ramp and an exit ramp especially around the downtown ramps to 94 or 35, can you image someone doing it at night and after a couple of drinks? When people come to visit me here they are shocked by the highways system that we have and not in a good way.

I will agree about poorly designed freeways. Ask anyone who has lived elsewhere and they will tell you MN hwys and freeways are not designed well. Seriously, exit and entrance ramps sharing the same space?

When I moved here from Toronto, Canada I was in shock. Back home every interchange is designed to have a pre-bridge entrance and post bridge exit along with at least a 1/4 mile merge lane. Here, my God! What’s more shocking is that while you can forgive the old highway ramps, you can’t forgive the fact that the new/updated ramps are being built with the exact same faults.

Do not judge this accident as you were not there and you don’t have any sense if
you just say mean stuff such as “Morons”.
Their lives are gone, so don’t be cruel about it as they are not here anymore.
Please pray for them and their families and stay away from the harsh and cruel
judgment. Accidents do happen and we are all human and can make an innocent mistake.
If none of you make any mistakes, then I am going to pray for you that much more ! If you are so perfect, then get out of your perfection, because perfection creates misery.

I don’t understand people who are so callous as to call one of the two people morons. You have no idea what really happened. Believe me if either person had more than 2 drinks the article would say, alcohol may have played a part. It always does. I have seen where this statement is put in the article and no one had been drinking, if the police have just a hunch that one of them had been drinking it would be in there. Some of you people also need to and from downtown. The entrance ramps are deplorable. I can see how drunk or sober you could accidentally end up going the wrong way. My sympathies to the family and friends of the decedents.

Actually, if you use the full sentence and put the object back in, it would read “neither of them were” which is absolutely correct. If you are going to correct people for their grammar you should try to get it right.

Well, I’m just outraged for your “poor” friend who had had two beers and was charged with DUI. Don’t the cops have anything better to do than charge innocent people with crimes? If anybody ever deserved the name MORON, it would be you. Other people DIE, because people like your friend only have “two” beers and rationalize (while under the influence…imagine that) that they are not impaired. Then they get behind the wheel and kill people.
It may not be hard to get charged, but it’s EASIER not to. Just don’t drink and drive. Period.

If one can neither read or understand English, how does one get a drivers license in this State. I’m not infering that had anything to do with this accident, but it’s just something I’ve always wondered about

Because people can take license tests in several languages – not just English. This is outrageous, considering that NO signs are in any language but English, nor should they be in this country. That’s your tax dollar at work for you. Oh, and some people don’t bother to get a license; as long as they have access to a car, off they go!

Because they are not really that hard to understand. Literally, thousands and thousands and thousands of drivers successfully navigate our metro ramps without problems every day.

Why do we have to cater to minority of MORONs who cant figure out how to drive properly. Wouldnt it be easier to administer some sort of IQ test and take the license away from those who can’t pass.

And the biggest mistake this MORON made, was not getting on the wrong ramp….it was continuning to drive on the wrong side without being aware enough to understand what is going on. That is the hallmark of a MORON if i’ve ever seen it!!

This is such a tragic situation, the young mans mother is a family friend and she is now left with a piece of her missing. This isn’t a place to call names; two lives were lost regardless of who’s fault it was or if they weren’t wearing seat belts. Instead of arguing with each other maybe you should think of what the loved ones are going through and the fact that they are probably going to see this and read that you think their loved one who is now dead is a “moron.”

deepest condolences
Thank you for acting like a caring human being. It is sad that these other people have nothing better to do than sit around and think of rude and hurtful things to say when there are two families out there greiving for their loved ones.

……there is also the possibility that the wrong way driver was doing so intentionally o a suicide bid and didn’t care who he may have taken out with him…..just sayin……and if not then yes he was a moron.

This is a very tragic and sad occurence, no matter who is at fault or why.

I find it very interesting, all the conclusions that are immediately jumped to as if those positing have all the relavent facts of the case.

Yes, drugs or alcohol could have been involved but there are also a number of other things that could play a part in this such as a mental illness or medical condition. I don’t know, I wasn’t there. Which is likely the case for most posters here.

Maybe we should wait until the investigation is completed before passing jumping to conclusions.

If you don’t have anything nice to comment, try not commenting at all. There’s too much hate in this world and not enough compassion. My prayers go out to the families left behind to pick up the pieces.

I’m not saying the problem is the hate specifically. I’m saying the problem is the hate that is spread around to others daily. Hate and anger are natural human emotions that are unavoidable. Spewing hatred and anger onto the comments section of a newstory is what can be avoided. Especially in a case like this where two lives are lost, regardless of where the fault lies.

I am a member of Regianl White’s family and the comments are rude. Both family’s at this time don’t need to be reading these comments. Thanks, to Nancy for your concern. People let the fact come out first.

I feel very upset that when two lives are lost, you people get very rude! I feel very sorry for the families who lost a member! Before people post their comments, WCCO should make sure that these kind of rude comments don’t show up!

Quiet down Grandma!! Aren’t you the one that suggested WCCO censor it’s user posting so they are nice, flowering and absent of rude comments?

Yep, it was….so again, get off the interent if you cant stand free speach, dont take away my rights. (and yes it is my consitituional right to use rude language, be obnoxious and say my thoughts freely)

Rudeness….You can’t even spell right and don’t take away my rights either! If I want to be compassionate towards others on the internet, that is my right, and you have no buisness telling me how you hate me because I showed a little compassion towards the victims families!! They will be reading this stuff that people post! I do care that the driver was going the wrong way, and he was in the wrong, but calling names don’t make the families feel any better!

Okay. At least you admit that you are a bad speller but you got some words correct. Sorry, and I agree with you. I don’t feel bad for the person that caused it unless she had some kind of medical problem and couldn’t help it. I feel bad for the victim and the families! I think in a situation like this that two lives are lost, I think everyone should be aware that the families of the victims are reading these posts! I sound out on these posts too but hopefully I don’t hurt someone’s feelings, especially when it comes to politics! Don’t get me started on that subject!

YOU DO NOT GET COMPASION for MORONIC actions that kill others….PERIOD!!!

I feel bad for the families of both victims, and the other drive….I DO NOT FEEL THE LEAST BIT bad for the driver. She choose her actions….as much as you people try…there are no legitimate excuses for entering the freeway in the wrong direction and not IMMEDIATLEY recognizing your msitake and pulling over.

She?! What ‘she’ are you talking about? Read the article before you post – both drivers were male.

To the families of these men, my deepest condolences for the loss of your loved ones. And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE disregard the rantings of the folks on here who feel it acceptable to be rude and crude in their posts. Easy to be a jerk when you can hide behind the internet and not use your real name.

We don’t need to investigate anymore since Sam Spade and the rest of the detectives visiting this website have laid out exactly what happened for us. Thanks to all who were there and know precisely how this played out. Deepest sympathy for those whose lives are altered forever because of this, and sympathy for the fact that the morons calling the deceased morons get a forum to put their idiotic comments in writing.

St Paul….. see what you did. Some people do not like the word “Moron”…….. and in this case… it fits. Sorta like how I would describe Washingtos leadership in one word. It fits. Too bad innocence might have died at the scene.

Wasn’t there a proposal a few years ago to install some kind of tire deflation devices on ramps to prevent such tragedies from occurring? Anyone who tries to drive the wrong way on a ramp will end up with four flat tires – better than deaths to the driver and others on the road. All the DO NOT ENTER AND ONE WAY SIGNS are absolutely useless to drivers who aren’t paying attention.

If you read the article the driver of the Jeep Liberty passed and then after that he pulled in front of the other driver I bet to try to let him know he was going the wrong way. He lost his life probobly trying to do the right thing. You all need to have compassion for BOTH victims.

I feel so lucky. That could have been me had I left the gym 20 minutes earlier like I was gonna. Instead I drove by the scene to see 3 lanes blocked off and at least 15 squad cars surrounding the two mangled vehicles. The front of the green car was completely gone! I feel for the families and the people involved.

“Sad. I just don’t think life’s fair. Why does God have to take the good ones away?” said Norbeck’s father, Jack Hartshorn. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over this.”

If we assume that God is an invention of man, and that all events are random and have natural explanations, then it makes sense. We must learn to grieve and deal with loss rather than seek supernatural explanations for things (which themselves require yet another explanation that still makes no sense). May these families find peace.

I love Karma! THE MORON as you refer was a dear friend to my daughter. I am glad he was not beats being a veg the rest of your life. Someone who loved everyone, and everyone that came into contact with that 21 yr old loved him..

That 21 year old moron was my best friends brother, he was not a moron, he never wore a seatbelt because he was big, how dare you say that about someone when families are grieving! and the seatbelt wasnt a factor for him, he was crushed by the airbag.

tox. reports Show Reginald was 3 times over the legal limit STUPID ASS! Nice!! Drunk killed himself and someone else.. he doesnt have to live with the guilt of killing himself. but everyone sadly now has to mourn the loss of a great young man! Great JOB REGGY!

{People should think about their actions before they do something stupid and kill another human being. His poor children have to grow up knowing their father was a drunk and killed a man!